Arrive Alive Women?s Super League Round 6 Preview
Poor weather saw Blacktown Spartans, Central Coast Lightning, APIA Leichhardt Tigers and the Northern Tigers sitting out last weekend?s round. You can be sure that players and team officials from each of the four clubs will be keen to get back into action this weekend. Sunday sees newcomers Springwood United FC with the bye.
The Match of the Day this week certainly looks to be the Gladesville Ravens v Central Coast Lightning match at Magdala Park. This game sees the competition leaders playing the team placed fourth on the ladder so expect plenty of fireworks.
The Ravens have had their best start to a season in some time. With four wins from four matches the Gladesville girls are full of confidence and are starting to believe in their premiership credentials. Three of the four teams they?ve beaten though sit in the bottom three spots on the competition ladder though so this Sunday will certainly be their biggest test so far in 2010. They?ll welcome back Ashley Hulme from suspension and hope for more inspiration from ?impact player? Fatma Agar.
Central Coast Lightning are also undefeated so far though draws with APIA and Blacktown slightly blot their copybook. Don?t doubt Central Coast?s title pedigree; they are an exciting style of team who play bright football. They are sure to put the test to, what has been thus far, Gladesville?s impregnable defensive line. I?ll be very interested to see Central Coast in action as they?ve been my tip for premiers since the start of the season. That?s a big load for them to carry!
I am looking forward to this game. It should be a tough battle and might well be decided on a touch of individual flair here or there. As I flip the coin it comes down heads; looks like I?m on the Gladesville Ravens bandwagon for this week at least!
At Francis Park the Blacktown Spartans will be out to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they throw out the welcome mat for St George FC.
Blacktown?s explosive start to the season has stumbled slightly with successive draws to Eastern UNSW Lions and Central Coast Lightning in their last two matches. Whilst neither result is anything to be disappointed with The Spartans will be keen to get back into the winners list against 6th placed St George. There?s a lot to like about Blacktown in 2010 and they certainly look as if the will figure in the big games at season?s end.
St George FC started the season well with a win and a draw in their first two matches but their form has tapered off since. Having conceded seven goals in their last two matches it?s obvious that the St George girls need to find a way to plug some defensive holes whilst finding some gaps of their own at the other end of the field. Blacktown won?t be an easy side to contain so the visitors will need to be on their game.
St George FC try their hearts out every week but Blacktown Spartans look to have too many guns for them in this one.
Lady Hawks play Eastern UNSW Lions at Melita Stadium.
This looks an intriguing encounter. Lady Hawks are fresh from their second win of 2010 after narrowly accounting for Springwood United FC last Sunday. The Lady Hawks, after showing plenty of promise in 2009, have disappointed a little so far this season. None of their losses have been of catastrophic proportions though so it may be that they?ll start picking up points against some of the ?lesser lights? in the competition.
The Eastern UNSW Lions have proven to be worthy newcomers to the Arrive Alive Women?s Super League in 2010. They?ve drawn matches with APIA, St George FC and Blacktown Spartans whilst going down narrowly to Gladesville Tigers and Northern Tigers. That first win of the campaign is proving elusive but the girls are certainly causing their opponents plenty of headaches. Can they go one step further this weekend?
This looms as a very close one. I?ve been impressed with the Eastern UNSW Lions efforts so far this season. I?m going to tip them to break their duck on Sunday.
The Northern Tigers play APIA Leichhardt Tigers at Mills Park.
In the last couple of weeks Northern Tigers have gone from looking like draught horses to taking on the appearance of thoroughbreds. Two good wins, albeit over the teams sitting 8th and 9th on the competition ladder, have the youngsters thinking positively about the season. Sunday?s match is a big step up in class for the Mills Park Kids but belief can be everything and these girls are becoming believers!
APIA is another of those undefeated sides; totaling a win and two draws in three matches played so far. Having been forced to sit out last weekend when Lambert Park was unplayable, APIA will be looking to kick start their title challenge with a strong performance here. Things never really got rolling for APIA in 2009 and Coach Tarek Madani won?t want any lingering doubts to start creeping into the new campaign.
On paper this looks like an APIA win but the Northern Tigers are full of enthusiasm after their two wins. Call me a sentimentalist but I?m going to go for a draw in this match.
Another fine weekend of football coming up. What are YOU doing this weekend? Maybe it?s about time you took yourself along to an Arrive Alive Women?s Super League match! Entry is free and you?ll be treated to plenty of exciting thrills and spills. These girls know how to play!
See you at the ground.
-By Ross Anderson
